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NCAA tournament 2014: 10 maddest moments of March ... so far (video)

Tyler Ennis

Syracuse's Tyler Ennis (11) reacts as Dayton's Kendall Pollard (22) and Devin Oliver (5) celebrate with teammates during the second half of a third-round game in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament in Buffalo, N.Y., Saturday, March 22, 2014. Dayton won 55-53. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

It would be hackneyed and entirely unoriginal to call the 2014 edition of March Madness the best in years. We can't just ignore Florida Gulf Coast's improbable Sweet 16 run last year. Or pretend that Norfolk State-over-Missouri didn't happen in 2012. What about Davidson's Steph Curry-fueled run to the Elite Eight? And who can forget that Duke-Butler title matchup from 2010?

The point is, March Madness is great every year. It's always been a month of basketball mania and upset magic; this year is no different. So rather than argue over how this year's tournament compares to prior versions, let's just celebrate the 2014 NCAA tournament for what it is: a time of nonstop and unequivocal madness.

So without further ado, here are the defining moments (so far) of this year's Big Dance:

1. Floored by the FlyersThe crown for top team in Ohio is no longer a one-horse race. Not after Dayton reserve Vee Sanford ignited the most improbable tournament run of the year. A former Georgetown castoff, Sanford drove to the basket with a mere 10 seconds left in the game, maneuvered past Ohio State star Aaron Craft and knocked down a beautiful 4-foot jumper. The Buckeyes had one last shot at keeping their season alive, but Craft's last-second 10-footer rolled off the rim. In a tragically iconic moment, Craft could only lay on the court and stare up at the rafters.

2. More cowbellAside from an upstart basketball team, Stanford also apparently boasts the coolest school band in the nation. In a Will Ferrell-esque performance, the Stanford cowbell player briefly stole the show during Stanford's win against Kansas with his wholly spastic cowbellperformance. And you thought that SNL skit was played out.

3. The 4-point shot heard 'round the worldHow about that unbelievable four-point play from Stephen F. Austin senior Desmond Haymon to force OT against heavily-favored VCU? Truth is, despite their unheralded reputation, the Lumberjacks were always a decent team; they had the nation's second-longest winning streak at 29. But that shot was the stuff that legends are made of.

4. Doing the Mercer danceAside from beating Duke, the team everyone but Blue Devils fans loves to hate, the Mercer Bears endeared themselves to America with senior Kevin Canevari's impromptu postgame bop. Beyond entertainment value, it encapsulated everything that's great about March Madness: the achievement of the seemingly impossible, and the shameless celebration that follows suit.

6. 'Cause that's a technical foulKansas State walk-on Brian Rohleder -- who averages 0.1 points per game -- managed to make an impact on his team's second-round loss to Kentucky in an innovative (but totally bad) way. Rohleder was given a technical foul for dunking during warmups, forcing K-State to spot Kentucky a 1-0 lead before the game even started. Luckily for Rohleder, his team lost by six, so he can't take too much blame.

7. Poetic justiceIn a now infamous pre-game press conference, Kansas freshmen Andrew Wiggins and Wayne Selden showed no respect for Stanford guard Chasson Randle, openly giggling when they were asked what they knew about the junior Cardinal guard. Randle, motivated by the slight, went out and scored 13 points against Kansas while setting a Stanford record for steals in an NCAA tournament game with six. When the buzzer sounded on Stanford's huge 60-57 upset win Sunday, Randle had the last laugh -- while making little Jayhawks fans cry.

8. Look, Mom! One hand!Every time Tony Wroblicky shot a free throw, TV viewers were spellbound and American University fans were given at least a few moments' solace. The Eagles center's unique one-handed approach to free throws was about the only thing that went right for American Thursday, as they lost 75-35 Wisconsin in blowout fashion. Hey, he was 5-for-6 from the line in the game and shot 72 percent from the stripe this year; maybe some of his peers should take notice.

9. Leaving so soon? After enduring a woeful start from his team, which scored just 16 points before halftime, Nebraska head coach Tom Miles got himself ejected midway through the second half for unsportsmanlike conduct. It's not often that a coach gets himself ejected from an NCAA tournament game, but it's hard to blame Miles for wanting to escape an absolutely dreadful day for his Cornhuskers, who shot a woeful 19 percent from beyond the arc in a 74-60 loss to Baylor. Even more abysmal, that loss brings Nebraska's all-time tournament record to 0-7, going back to 1986.

It didn't take long -- all of three days -- for America's chances of winning Warren Buffett's $1 billion bracket prize to disappear. The final hopes for a perfect bracket in the Quicken Loans Billion Dollar Bracket Challenge, with a grand prize insured by Buffett, were dashed at approximately 9:17 p.m. ET on Friday when Memphis beat George Washington to eliminate the final three contenders. Just wait until next year, Warren!

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